Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, part of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. In 2020, the population at the census was 24,655, which makes it the largest of three incorporated towns in the county.

SS Central America, known as the Ship of Gold, was a 280-foot (85 m) sidewheel steamer that operated between Central America and the East Coast of the United States during the 1850s. She was originally named the SS George Law, after George Law of New York. The ship sank in a hurricane in September 1857, along with 425 of her 578 passengers and crew and 30,000 pounds (13,600 kg) of gold, contributing to the Panic of 1857.